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| X-Men (2000) – Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Shawn Ashmore, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman |
Have you ever wondered what happened to the cast of the original X-Men movie?
Fourteen years ago Bryan Singer directed the very first X-Men and it
was a smash hit. It ushered in a new age of superhero films and
launched the careers of new stars, like Hugh Jackman and new careers to
familiar faces like Patrick Stewart.
The film was written by David
Hayter, and features a cast that includes Patrick Stewart, Hugh
Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden,
Rebecca Romijn, Bruce Davison, Ray Park, Tyler Mane and Anna Paquin.
What do they look like today?
Patrick Stewart
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| Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier in X-Men (2000) |
Sir Patrick Stewart OBE (Order of the British Empire) was born July, 13
1940 and was 60-years old when he starred in X-Men as the powerful mental mutant
Professor Charles Xavier. He was already a distinguished British film,
television and stage actor when he took on the role of Professor X.
Like most people I know him best as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but
he’s also had a prolific stage career with the Royal Shakespeare
Company. After losing his hair at 18 he thought no woman would ever
love him, but he has flourished in his new acting career. He comes back
as Professor X in X-Men: Days of
Future Past and does voicework for Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return,
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
Hugh Jackman
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| Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men (2000) |
Hugh Michael Jackman was born October 12, 1968 and is
an Australian actor and producer who’s done film, musical
theatre, and television. At 32, he was a relative unknown when Singer
cast him as Wolverine, but he’s the most widely known actor in the
series. Like the comic book character, people love Wolverine. While
he’s appeared in every X-Men film, including two solo films he’s also
had time to do other work. He was the lead in Kate & Leopold, Van
Helsing, The Prestige, Australia, Real Steel, Les
Misérables, and Prisoners.
He was nominated for his first Oscar in 2013 for Les Misérables and won
his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor thanks to the film.
His next film role is in X-Men: Days
of Future Past and Chappie
is opening next year.
Ian McKellen
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| Ian McKellen as Magneto in X-Men (2000) |
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE was born 25 May 1939 and was
61 when he starred in X-Men.
He says it was the costume that convinced the English actor to take on
the role for Singer. McKellen is the recipient of six Laurence
Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award,
a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BIF Award, two Saturn
Awards, four Drama Desk Awards and two Critics’ Choice
Awards. He’s has been nominated for two Academy Awards, eight
BAFTA film and TV nominations and five Emmy
Award nominations. If you’re wondering what all those letters
after his name mean, McKellen was appointed Commander of the Order
of the British Empire in 1979 and was knighted in 1991
for services to the performing arts, and was made a Companion of
Honour for services to drama and to equality, in 2008. He has
performed in Shakespearean and modern
theatre before and after the role. McKellen has not only taken on the
role of Eric Lennsherr, but Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings
series. He joins his old friend Patrick Stewart in X-Men: Days of Future Past and
stars in The Hobbit: The Battle of
the Five Armies (2014).
Halle Berry
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| Halle Berry as Storm in X-Men (2000) |
Halle Maria Berry (born Maria Halle Berry) was born on August
14, 1966 and was 34-years-old when she played Ororo Munroe the weather
controlling mutant “Storm.” She’s an American actress and a
former fashion model. Two years after the film she won an Academy
Award for Best Actress for her performance in Monster’s Ball. She’s the first
woman of African-American descent to win an Oscar for a leading role.
Since then, she’s become one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood
during and moved into producing. She joins the rest of the cast in X-Men: Days of Future Past and
stars in the upcoming science fiction TV series Extant later
this year.
Famke Janssen
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| Famke Janssen as Jean Grey in X-Men (2000) |
Famke Beumer Janssen was born November 5th 1965 and is a Dutch actress,
director, screenwriter, and former fashion model who played Jean Grey
the mutant scientist and polical activist in X-Men. She was already well known
for playing the Russian Bond villain Xenia Onatopp in Golden Eye (1995) but she really
came into her own in X-Men. She went on to play in three other X-Men
films and guest-starred on Nip/Tuck, and the two Taken (2008) films with Liam
Neeson. In 2008, she was appointed a “Goodwill Ambassador for
Integrity” by the United Nations. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in 2011. She’s
rumored to have a cameo in X-Men:
Days of Future Past, but she only says “stay tuned” when asked
about it. She stars in the Netflix horror series Hemlock Grove
(2013) now in it’s second season.
James Marsden
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| James Paul Marsden as Cyclops in X-Men (2000) |
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace
model who was born on September 18, 1973. Marsden began his acting
career guest-starring in television shows like Saved by the Bell, Touched by an Angel and Party of Five before playing the
eye blasting mutant Scott Summers at 27. He played in the first three
X-Men films before leaving the series and starring in Superman Returns (2006).Marden
was nominated for a Grammy for Hairspray
and a Screen Actors Guild Award for The
Butler (2013). He’s appearing in four movies this year Walk of Shame, The Loft and Endangered. He’s rumored to have a
cameo in X-Men: Days of Future Past
but it hasn’t been confirmed. We’ll see.
Bruce Davison
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| Bruce Davison as Senator Kelly in X-Men (2000) |
Bruce Davison was born June 28, 1946 and is an American actor and
director. He played Senator Robert Kelly in the first two X-Men movie
at 54. His other most famous movie roles are in Runaway Jury and Apt Pupil. He also killed it as
psychiatrist Dr. Silberman on Terminator:
The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Davison isn’t worried about
type-casting since he’s been nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and
two Emmy awards. He starred in four movies last year and had a
recurring role on The Last Resort.
Rebecca Romijn
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| Rebecca Romijn as Mystique in X-Men (2000) |
Rebecca Alie Romijn was born November 6, 1972 and is an American
actress and former fashion model. Romjin was a supermodel and starred
in MTV’s House of Style. She
rose to fame playing the shape-shifting Mystique (Raven Darkhölme) in
four of the X-Men films starting at 28. She’s also guest-starred on the
television series Ugly Betty
and starred in TNT’s series King
& Maxwell as a private investigator. After her divorce to
John Stamos, she dropped the Stamos from Romijn-Stamos. Sorry John.
Ray Park
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| Ray Park as Toad in X-Men (2000) |
Raymond Park was born in Scotland on August 23, 1974 and played the
mutant gymnast Toad at 26. He began working in film on Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
playing one of the Reptiles, Baraka and doubling for Rayden. His big
break in movies was playing Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but
audiences didn’t get to hear his real voice until he starred in X-Men. Since then, he’s gone on to
play the mysterious “Snake Eyes” in the G.I. Joe movies and stars in Future Fighters and Jinn this year. Not bad considering
we’ve hardly seen his real face.
Anna Paquin
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| Anna Paquin as Rogue in X-Men (2000) |
New Zealander Anna Helene Paquin was born in Canada on July 1982
and played the power stealing mutant Marie (aka Rogue) at 18. Her
acting prowess was confirmed when, after her first film The Piano, she won the Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 11. She’s the second youngest
winner in Oscar history. She later appeared in a bunch of successful
movies like Fly Away
Home, She’s All That and
Almost Famous, but it’s Rogue that we love. She appeared in
three of the films and
the X-Men franchise as Rogue from Marvel
Comics. She was planned to come back in X-Men: Days of Future
Past, but Singer cut her out of the film because the scene was
“extraneous.” After fan pressure, she’s back in the film, but is
“essentially, a cameo.” We’ll take what we can get though.
Tyler Mane
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| Tyler Mane as Sabretooth in X-Men (2000) |
Daryl Karolat is a Canadian born former-wrestler, actor and producer.
As a wrestler he’s been known by any names like Skywalker Nitron,
Ntron, Nitro and Gully Gaspar, but he’s best known as the feral mutant
Sabretooth in the X-Men film
at 34. He was originally planned to be a stunt man, but when Singer say
his massive 6′ frame he cast him as Sabretooth. While he didn’t come
back as Sabretooth for X-Men Origins: Wolverine he’s probable glad
because he went on to play in films like Halloween (2007), Troy (2004) and the western When the Storm God Rides later this year.
Shawn Ashmore
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| Shawn Ashmore as Iceman in X-Men (2000) |
Shawn Robert Ashmore was born in Canada along with his twin brother Aaron on October 7, 1979. I knew I liked him. He played the mutant ice machine Bobby “Iceman” Drake in three of the X-Men films starting when he was 21. He joins the rest of the original X-Men cast in X-Men: Days of Future Past and plays Agent Weston on the TV series The Following.
Who’s your favorite character from X-Men? Who do you look forward to seeing in future X-Men movies?
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="35050 ">14 Comments
Patrick Stewart really hasn't changed much in like 40 years. Losing your hair at 18 must be rough. I liked Rogue in the first movie but they couldn't find anything for her to do after that.
How does the Mystique thing work in the new movie? I mean are we supposed to believe Jennifer Lawrence is going to grow into Rebecca Romijin? That doesn't really make much sense. But then the trailers are confusing because sometimes James McAvoy is walking and sometimes in a wheelchair and sometimes Beast has hair all over and sometimes he doesn't. I hope it makes more sense on watching the actual movie.
Other than Askmore, they really haven't changed much.
I like Magneto, but I have always had a soft spot for the misunderstood baddie!
The prequels are really fleshing out his motivation but he always seemed to have good intentions David.
I think it's the beard Man.
They still look mighty fine.
Oh my the differences. I always enjoy seeing the then and now. People are always changing.
But what about Bryan Singer? Surely he has dramatically changed?
Dang…has it really been 14 years? Oh man I'm old!
Since Mystique's natural form is blue scaly, the Rebecca Romijin and Jennifer Lawrence looks are just her shapeshifting at work. Maybe at some point the J-Law look got too recognizable so she changed to another gorgeous blonde.
But even in blue scaly form you can tell the difference.
It’s hard to imagine Stewart looking any older. No wonder he has a young wife Liesel!
You must really hate the James Bond movies 🙂
I know right? I felt the same thing. It feels like yesterday…